Baby powder
Want to take the kids skiing without taking out a second mortgage? The Midwest boasts plenty of family-friendly ski getaways like the one at Grand Geneva Resort and Spa -- for bunny slope prices.
When it comes to family vacations, it's hard to beat a ski trip. But flying the family out to Vail or Jackson Hole to play in the powder comes with a hefty price tag.
So when it was time to introduce my 6-year-old stepson, Ben, to the sport of schussing, we decided to start small and head somewhere close to home. In the time it would take us to get through security at O'Hare, we drove up to Lake Geneva, Wis., for a weekend at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa.
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GETTING THERE
The Grand Geneva Resort is at highways 50 East and 12 in Lake Geneva, a roughly 90-minute drive from Chicago.
STAYING THERE
Rooms at Grand Geneva Resort's main lodge start at $129 a night, or $109 at the resort's Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark.
Water-Ski packages available through March 7 include one night at Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark, four ski lift tickets, 40 arcade tokens and four water park passes for $269 for a one-bedroom suite and $394 for a two-bedroom, Sunday through Friday. On Saturdays, prices go up $20.
Can't spend the night? Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark at Grand Geneva Resort is offering a "Stay and Play Just for the Day" package that gets you the use of a lodge suite from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and five water park passes for $129. Timberridgeresort.com or (866) 636-4502.
CONTACT
(800) 558-3417; Grandgeneva.com.
The 1,300-acre complex includes an 18-run, three-chairlift ski hill, more than 6 miles of cross-country ski trails, and a half-pipe and terrain park for snowboarders. It also boasts a reputable ski and snowboard school and a pair of gently sloping bunny hills perfect for beginners like Ben.
Speaking of bunnies, the resort used to have a lot of those, too. As in the Hugh Hefner kind.
This family-friendly vacation spot started out in 1968 as the Playboy Club Hotel and Country Club. Sonny and Cher, Sammy Davis Jr. and Tony Bennett used to perform at the hotel, where the lobby once housed a glass-bottom swimming pool. If walls could talk . . .
"They had an 18-foot chainlink fence around the property; I don't know if that was to keep the bunnies in or the guys out," said Ron, a gregarious trolley driver who shuttles guests around the sprawling resort, which has a full-service spa, two 18-hole golf courses and a small airport.
It also has the ability to convert 1,200 gallons of water per minute into man-made snow.
At the ski hill, the three of us got all geared up with our rented skis, boots and poles. My husband and I left Ben in the capable hands of Don Bruno, an energetic 72-year-old ski instructor and former schoolteacher. The resort's snow sports school offers individual lessons for all ages and a six-week program aimed at teaching children how to ski. Bruno said the vast majority of his students come from the Chicago area.
My husband and I were really hoping that Ben's introduction to skiing would go smoother than his introduction to swimming -- a multiyear affair that only recently resulted in him putting his head under water.
Hiding behind the chairlift operator's booth, we anxiously watched as Ben stepped his skis onto the "magic carpet" that effortlessly pulled him up the bunny hill. (The conveyer belt contraption is a big improvement over the tow rope that was around when I was learning to ski.)
Once he reached the top, Ben followed Bruno's lead and glided all the way down the tiny hill without incident. No screaming. No crying. No falling. Don Bruno, you're our hero.
After hot chocolate and a hot dog in the rustic ski lodge, Ben was back on the slopes with us, practicing his moves. When we all had enough snow for the day, I made a beeline for the spa while Ben and his dad headed to the resort's 50,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor water park. I told you this place was big.
Guests can stay in one of the 225 suites attached to the water park, or they can book a room in the more upscale main lodge, designed in a Frank Lloyd Wright prairie style. Both hotels are suitable for families. And unlike Vail and Jackson Hole, they're only 72 miles from Chicago.